STORY SYNOPSISDuring a trip, the Trojan Prince Paris made off with Helen, the wife of Menelaus a Greek. Menelaus turned to his brother Agamemnon the King of Mycenae to enact retribution against the City of Troy and regain Helen. What transpired was a 10-year war, a small portion of which is detailed in The ILIAD. A war with kings and princes is enough, but when the gods and goddess join the fray, the bloodletting and the treachery is wet and red.

REVIEWWho knew that a 3,000-year-old epic poem supposedly by a blind Greek poet would have such standing and influence on Western literature and philosophy? THE ILIAD has withstood the years, enduring numerous translations and adaptations, giving way to its title as the greatest war story ever told. The 15,000 lines of poetic verse have been a staple of the literary canon for years and its description of the human condition is as relevant now as it was it was written.

Roy Thomas’ adaptation is just one more incarnation of the great war story, one that presents itself to the 21st century student in a way that makes sense to the reader and revitalizes the old verse. Thomas chose to keep the archaic feel of the language intact to preserve the richness of the original and to set the tone. While that language is a bit tedious and confusing at times, it maintains the ancient and authentic feel of the story. The read is not easy and requires some dedication on the part of the reader, but the result is worth it.

Marvel Illustrated helps the reader by providing explanations in the text and a glossary in the back. The gods and goddesses and their words are colorized and textually different from the rest of the story, allowing the reader to discern the immortals from the mortals. The author’s word choice is more in line with the setting and the story, but it does cause above-average difficulty. From the dialogue, to the narration, to the guttural screams and war cries, the authenticity of the adaptation was strong beginning to end.

The only exception was the “Hii-Yaaaaaa” by Idomeneus, King of Crete, when he brought down his wrath against the Trojans. That brief diversion from the tone of the rest of the book was distracting and pulled the reader from the story; however, that detail is minor and rather insignificant.

ART REVIEWThe depiction of the armor alone is distinct and worthwhile your time. So many groups are in battle, yet Sepulveda takes time with each handcrafted piece. The artist is not afraid of battle scenes, giving us a sometimes disgusting but accurate view of the brutality and burning. The infusion of gods and goddess can be distracting, but Sepulveda finds a way to incorporate their characters and dialogue bubbles so that the reader can easily discern between mortal and god.

THE ILIAD is a classic tale full of dread, death, war, and love. There are blood-drenched epic battles, treachery, and abandonment. The complexity of the story is best for high school students, but that should not be interpreted to preclude younger students. Great caution must be exercised when presenting this story to younger persons as it is difficult and will likely require scaffolding. It could be that some younger but gifted students may do well with such a tale. Those kinds of decisions should be taken on a case-by-case basis.

BE AWAREIt’s the greatest war story ever told. Swords are wielded; gods and goddesses are prayed to; death is dealt; blood flows freely; and love and abandonment are central to the story.

IN THE CLASSROOMUsing a comic adaptation of a traditional work in an English classroom is not a popular choice and upsets many educators. While I argue that the comic adaptation may be very appropriate depending on the class and the students, it is important to note that an educator need not choose one over the other, when using both is a legitimate and contemporary option.

The combination of studying the original and the adaptation may be a powerful way to engage students and increase reading motivation. The original text could be used to develop appreciation for the beauty of the original verse and the epic nature of the work, as well as to fill in gaps left out of the adaptation. The comic version can be used for comprehension and visualization of the story; it can build the foundation from which the original text can be studied and really enjoyed. Together, I believe that the two works will create a unique and contemporary literature class that can emphasize understanding and appreciation and bring the literature to the students.

I offer several suggestions the reader may find helpful:

Read slowly

Take time to read the beautiful illustrations

Do not hesitate to re-read

Read in sections and not in one sitting, unless you are very familiar with the story

The Greeks go by several names in the story, which can be confusing at first: Greeks, Achaeans, and Argives.

Consider dramatic readings where different parts are read aloud by different students.

OTHER INFORMATIONWhile THE ILIAD and THE ODYSSEY are generally cited as the works of a blind poet named Homer, scholars are unsure if Homer was a real person, or an amalgam of multiple writers.

CHRIS’ RECOMMENDATION:Highly RecommendedBe it classic interpretation or graphic adaptation, THE ILIAD is one of our oldest and most influential works. It is a classic regardless of the format. Marvel Illustrated’s comic adaptation is a must-have.

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About TGC

The Graphic Classroom is a resource for teachers and librarians to help them stock high quality, educational-worthy, graphic novels and comics in their classroom or school library. I read and review every graphic novel or comic on this blog and give it a rating as to appropriateness for the classroom.

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Would you like your comic or graphic novel reviewed here at THE GRAPHIC CLASSROOM? You can do so in two ways, one of which is guaranteed and the other is not:

1. Send me a copy of the comic or graphic novel. I will read it and review it as soon as possible. You can email me privately and I will give you my mailing address. abikerbard@mac.com

2. You can simply tell me about your creation.

If you send me a copy, then I will review your submission. I will be honest and fair and do my best to get your book reviewed in a timely manner. I am a full time graduate student, so my time is limited. If I receive a lot of books, then I will put them on a first-come, first-reviewed list and do the best I can.

If you cannot or will not send me a media copy of your book, then you can just request that I review it. My money is short, as I am going to school and not working, so you are depending on my ability to afford your book. There is no guarantee that I will get to your work nor any guarantee that I will even review it. If I can afford it and have time to read it, then I will most certainly review it. It's all about the teachers, librarians and kids.

Reviews are never based on free media copies. I am writing my Master's Thesis on the subject of comics in the classroom, so this is important to me. I am committed to this and I take reviews very seriously. I do not rip into books in order to get readership. I will have a critical eye, but I am also excited about helping teachers find great books for the classroom.

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About The Editor

My name is Chris Wilson. My first name is Jack, which is why you see it on the posts, but I usually go by my middle name: Chris. Having worked as the Managing Editor for a weekly newspaper then as the Director of a non-profit for people with disabilities, I have gone back to school. I am now a full time graduate student in the college of education at Missouri State University. I am getting my Masters of Science in Education – Elementary Education.

I know that reading is a problem for many students today. I feel strongly that comics and graphic novels can be one way that we can combat this problem. Graphics novels should be in every public school library and classroom library. That is why I am choosing to write my thesis on using comics and graphic novels in the elementary classroom.

Email Meabikerbard@mac.com

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Disclaimer

Some comic literature is not appropriate for every classroom, or every community. Some are not appropriate for any classroom. You need to review any piece of comic literature for yourself and determine if it is appropriate for your grade, class, curriculum, goals, school and community.